Public sees plans for possible I-35 toll road

1of 4Buck Benson looks at plans during a public meeting held by the Texas Department of Transportation about the I-35 Northeast San Antonio Expansion Project on Thursday, February 26, 2015 at Morgan's Wonderland in San Antonio, TX. "I am a lawyer representing developers, so this is a big deal to me," he said.Photo: San Antonio Express-News

2of 4Sal Hernandez, a consultant, right, talks about the I-35 Expansion Project plans during a public meeting held by the Texas Department of Transportation about the I-35 Northeast San Antonio Expansion Project on Thursday, February 26, 2015 at Morgan's Wonderland in San Antonio, TX.Photo: San Antonio Express-News

3of 4Sal Hernandez, a consultant, right, talks about the I-35 Expansion Project plans during a public meeting held by the Texas Department of Transportation about the I-35 Northeast San Antonio Expansion Project on Thursday, February 26, 2015 at Morgan's Wonderland in San Antonio, TX.Photo: San Antonio Express-News

4of 4Mike Wikman speaks during a public meeting held by the Texas Department of Transportation about the I-35 Northeast San Antonio Expansion Project on Thursday, February 26, 2015 at Morgan's Wonderland in San Antonio, TX.Photo: San Antonio Express-News

A presentation Thursday about possible new managed lanes on Interstate 35 was met by the larger debate over toll lanes, with the project’s supporters saying tolls were needed to pay for vital new road capacity and critics calling them double taxation.

The $1.3-billion proposal would add four managed lanes — two in each direction — along I-35 from the Loop 410 South interchange near San Antonio Military Medical Center to FM 1103 in Schertz, according to Texas Department of Transportation plans.

The proposal would expand an already crowded section of Interstate 35 where traffic is only expected to worsen in the coming years, said Jonathan Bean, TxDOT San Antonio’s director of transportation, planning and development. From 1995 to 2012, Bean said, traffic along the corridor increased by 60 percent, and is forecasted to increase by an additional 47 percent by 2035.

“I hope that you’ll support this needed route for our community,” said Rob Killen, the chairman of the board of the North San Antonio Chamber of Commerce.

Killen, who said expanding I-35 was essential for the local economy, was one of about 20 people who spoke at the hearing. More than 200 people attended.

The new lanes would be elevated and situated between the main lanes and access road in each direction for most of the 15-mile stretch, and the existing highway and access lanes would remain free. New connecting ramps would be built to link the managed lanes with 410 South, 410 West and Loop 1604.

On the managed lanes, the cost of the toll would vary depending on the time of day or level of congestion. Some vehicles, like public transit or registered carpoolers, could generally use the lanes for free.

Bean said TxDOT did not have the money to build new lanes on I-35 without tolls. The toll would range from 17 cents per mile to 50 cents per mile, he said.

But Paul Henson, who lives off of O’Connor Road near I-35, said that everyone was already paying taxes for road construction and maintenance, and the toll amounted to a second tax.

Other critics of the proposal argued the toll road would only benefit people who could afford the extra money needed to access the lanes.

“That’s $7.50 one way, or 15 bucks a day in new toll costs,” toll-road opponent Terri Hall said about someone who would drive the entire stretch at peak pricing.

Hall, founder of Texans Uniting for Reform and Freedom, said Gov. Greg Abbott has promised new funding for roads, but others said the region could not wait to see if the state took action.

“We’ve got to move forward and solve this problem,” said Don Durden, chair of the San Antonio Mobility Coalition and president of the firm Civil Engineering Consultants.

While many of the proposal’s supporters said it was needed from an economic standpoint, Michael Garza noted that decreased congestion could make the stretch safer. Garza said his wife drives the section every day with their young son, and he gets worried about all the traffic.

The managed lanes, Garza said, would provide a choice.

“We have the opportunity now to have an alternate route,” he said.

Before anything can be built, the I-35 project still needs final environmental approval, which TxDOT officials say is expected to come this summer. At this point, there is no anticipated groundbreaking date, TxDOT said.

People can make additional comments about the proposal until March 9 at TxDOT’s website.

Drew Joseph joined the Express-News in 2013 . Before coming to San Antonio, he covered health for the San Franciso Chronicle, lobbying and campaign finance for National Journal and breaking news for the Oregonian. He is a San Francisco Bay Area native and went to Dartmouth College.